The Cursed Brake Van
The Cursed Brake Van is the third episode of the second season of Sudrian Stories. Plot Due to engines often coming from the Mainland on Sodor, they often also come with rolling stock. Thus, it's uncommon for new coaches and trucks to arrive at random. One day, an engine had arrived with a goods train, and left it in a siding. As Philip shunted all the trucks in the appropriate places, the brake van suddenly put his brakes on. "Oh, come on!" He said. "Not these tricks again!" "Sorry." Called the brake van. When Philip was shunting the brake van into a siding, a truck spoke up. "He's cursed!" Remarked one. "Yeah, he's caused more accidents than us trucks!" Giggled another. "Stay away from him!" With all the talk about curses, Philip got scared and left the brake van stranded in the middle of the yard. "...oh, not again..." Sighed the brake van. A bit later, Oliver arrived at Knapford to deliver some goods. As he shunted his train into a siding, he spotted the abandoned brake van. "Hello, what's your name?" He asked. "It doesn't matter, just stay away!" He said in fear. "That's no way to act." Replied Toad. "Either way, Mr. Oliver, you should get him into a siding, we don't want an engine running into him." "Right." Agreed Oliver, and he shunted the cowardly brake van into a siding next to Toad. "Hello!" Greeted the latter. The brake van didn't know what to say. "Um... hi there." "Is everything alright?" "N-No... I'm cursed." Oliver couldn't help but laugh. "Cursed? You've got-" But, as soon as he saw Toad giving a glare, he left. Toad smiled. "Curses aren't real, nobody really is just cursed." However, the brake van disagreed. "All I do is cause trouble! My brakes act up, and then it delays the whole train..." "Do you need new brakes?" Asked Toad. "That's not it, I just got these new ones the other day." He sighed. Toad was confused. "That really is strange. I have a feeling that there must be a rational explanation for this." The brake van sighed. "I should just be scrapped, nobody cares about me anyways." "I do." Said Toad. "Everybody deserves a chance, even if they're not the best of people." "I'm not a person." "Shush, you get the point." Suddenly, Toad had an idea. "How about you go with Mr. Oliver and his goods train?" Suddenly, the brake van turned pale and froze. "W-W-W-W-What?! I'll be waste then! Imagine it now, Toad! In memory of Melvin the brake van, 1923 to 2017... what would Mr. S. think?" He said in absolute horror. "Oh come on, Mr. Melvin, things can't be that bad!" Retorted Toad. Melvin sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?" Oliver was pulling Melvin down the line, his brakes had acted up twice during the journey, and Oliver was starting to get fed up. Why did Toad come up with this idea? He thought. Suddenly, however, the trucks began acting up, they started bumping Oliver for no real reason, until his crew literally fell out. "Wait! Stop!" Shouted the engine's driver, but there was no way Oliver could stop. But, Melvin was panicking even more. "This is it... I'm done for..." Melvin didn't know, however, that his brakes were acting up again, and they were applied once again. As Oliver had slowed down quite a bit, his crew ran up and stopped him. "Wow. Thanks, Melvin!" Exclaimed Oliver. "I don't think your brakes are a curse, they're a blessing!" Melvin didn't know what to say. "Wow... thanks." Later on that day, Toad and Melvin were talking in the yard. "Toad, I want to say thanks. You and Oliver have really helped me out. My owner says he has interest in coming to Sodor again, so this may not be the last time we see each other." He said cheerfully. "Oh. Who do you belong to?" Asked Toad. Melvin didn't know how to reply. "I... I can't tell you that." He said. Before Toad could reply, however, a diesel from the Mainland came to take Melvin. "Come on, let's go." He said as he coupled up to the brake van. "But-" Melvin started. "Everything I needed to finish is done, Melvin. Mr. S needs you back." "Oh. Sighed Melvin. "Bye, Toad!" He called as him and the diesel left. "Goodbye, Mr. Melvin..." Later on that day, Toad was in a siding at Arlesburgh, only for the back Slip Coach, Salvatore, to be dropped off. "Good evening, my dear Toad. How are you today?" "I'm fine, Mr. Salvatore... I'm just concerned about a brake van from the Mainland." Toad said sadly. "Oh, what seemed to be the issue?" "He seemed to be in some trouble he didn't want to be tied in with, and I'm really concerned with." Salvatore knew who he could ask. "You should ask Edward." "Why?" "Him and Duck have been friends for ages, and I've heard him vaguely mention that he's dealt with some group of shady engines." Toad knew that Salvatore was talking about the time Edward, Duck, and some others fought 'The Spirit Trains'. "No, that brake van seemed way too kind." "I'm clueless. I'll try to get more information, and report back." Salvatore replied. "Thanks, Mr. Salvatore. That's quite nice of you." Toad said, he smiled once again. But, Duck had no idea about Melvin, and didn't even meet him. While he tried to ask Edward, he simply said a few words. "There are some things I need to keep secret, and that's one." Characters *Oliver *Philip *Toad *Melvin *The Slip Coaches (Only Salvatore speaks) *Duck (Does not speak) *Henry (Cameo) *Molly (Cameo) *Bear (Cameo) *Edward (Mentioned) Category:Sudrian Stories Category:Episodes Category:Sudrian Stories Episodes Category:Sudrian Stories - Season 2